What kinds of schools should I be looking at?

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
BoilerWolverine

BoilerWolverine

Full Member
10+ Year Member
5+ Year Member
15+ Year Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2006
Messages
404
Reaction score
0
Points
0
  1. Pre-Medical
Members do not see this ad.
Alright folks, I've had an interesting path and am curious if the top schools could possibly be an option for me. If not, what level of schools should I be considering? Location is not an issue. (That being said,Univ of Michigan is my first choice by far)

So, I went to Purdue for my undergrad in electrical engineering. I had some ups and downs (failed 4 classes but took again with ok grades). Graduated with a 3.11. My last years GPA was a 3.6, so a considerable improvement.

Next, I got my MS in electical engineering from Purdue. Did a thesis with a conference paper. Graduated in a year with a 4.0.

I then returned to Maryland and took the rest of my premed requirements at UMBC. Again, 4.0 in all my premed classes.

Now I am at Univ. of Michigan doing a MS in Biomedical Engineering. I have a 7.9/8.0 and am in a lab doing neural engineering research. I am also teaching physics for Princeton Review.

MCAT was a 36O (13P 10V 13B).

I will have a number of very good recommendations and have been involved with some limited volunteering in hospitals and other charity organizations. I have also been involved with Tau Beta Pi and other honor things as well.

So yea... I'm sure my undergrad grades will hurt me to some extent. However, I haven't gotten anything less than an A since 2004. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input.
 
apply to any school you could see yourself going to. It's that simple.

USNWR "ultimate guide to medical schools"

MSAR

School websites

Google News

go do some research, report back.
 
Don't think for a second that I haven't looked at all of the generic applications material. All of the rankings and guides are great, but they usually show a couple of generic stats and thats it (MCAT, UNDERGRAD GPA, etc.).

My road has not been nearly as direct or straightforward as most, and I'm wondering how my more recent activites will affect my application.
 
wow u have a very very unique profile, but yet I think it'll help you. I don't know about the prospects of top schools, but I'd definitely apply to schools like sf, brown, columbia, etc
 
BoilerWolverine said:
Alright folks, I've had an interesting path and am curious if the top schools could possibly be an option for me. If not, what level of schools should I be considering? Location is not an issue. (That being said,Univ of Michigan is my first choice by far)

So, I went to Purdue for my undergrad in electrical engineering. I had some ups and downs (failed 4 classes but took again with ok grades). Graduated with a 3.11. My last years GPA was a 3.6, so a considerable improvement.

Next, I got my MS in electical engineering from Purdue. Did a thesis with a conferenece paper. Graduated in a year with a 4.0.

I then returned to Maryland and took the rest of my premed requirements at UMBC. Again, 4.0 in all my premed classes.

Now I am at Univ. of Michigan doing a MS in Biomedical Engineering. I have a 7.9/8.0 and am in a lab doing neural engineering research. I am also teaching physics for Princeton Review.

MCAT was a 36O (13P 10V 13B).

I will have a number of very good recommendations and have been involved with some limited volunteering in hospitals and other charity organizations. I have also been involved with Tau Beta Pi and other honor things as well.

So yea... I'm sure my undergrad grades will hurt me to some extent. However, I haven't gotten anything less than an A since 2004. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input.
Click to expand...

You've got a pretty impressive graduate record there. Your undergraduate performance will be an obstacle, but it can be dealt with so long as you have something meaningful to say about the reasons behind your poor performance and what you learned from it.
You say that you have limited volunteer experience, just how limited? Your exposure to/familiarity with the medical profession is an important issue for adcoms, and weakness there can detract from any application.
With that said, top schools are still an option, but don't take it for granted. Less impressive candidates than you have gotten in to, and more impressive candidates have been rejected from, essentially every school in the country. So don't assume you'll get into any given school. Have a number of safety and reach schools on your list.
 
BoilerWolverine said:
Don't think for a second that I haven't looked at all of the generic applications material. All of the rankings and guides are great, but they usually show a couple of generic stats and thats it (MCAT, UNDERGRAD GPA, etc.).

My road has not been nearly as direct or straightforward as most, and I'm wondering how my more recent activites will affect my application.
Click to expand...

so wtf is your question?
 
BoilerWolverine said:
Alright folks, I've had an interesting path and am curious if the top schools could possibly be an option for me. If not, what level of schools should I be considering? Location is not an issue. (That being said,Univ of Michigan is my first choice by far)

So, I went to Purdue for my undergrad in electrical engineering. I had some ups and downs (failed 4 classes but took again with ok grades). Graduated with a 3.11. My last years GPA was a 3.6, so a considerable improvement.

Next, I got my MS in electical engineering from Purdue. Did a thesis with a conferenece paper. Graduated in a year with a 4.0.

I then returned to Maryland and took the rest of my premed requirements at UMBC. Again, 4.0 in all my premed classes.

Now I am at Univ. of Michigan doing a MS in Biomedical Engineering. I have a 7.9/8.0 and am in a lab doing neural engineering research. I am also teaching physics for Princeton Review.

MCAT was a 36O (13P 10V 13B).

I will have a number of very good recommendations and have been involved with some limited volunteering in hospitals and other charity organizations. I have also been involved with Tau Beta Pi and other honor things as well.

So yea... I'm sure my undergrad grades will hurt me to some extent. However, I haven't gotten anything less than an A since 2004. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input.
Click to expand...

You should be more curious if any medical school will be an option for you. Why did you not apply immediately after finishing your prereqs and instead opt to complete yet another engineering MS, albeit biomedically focused? Why have you not been volunteering more? Frankly, I am not sensing a real dedication to medicine here and I imagine adcoms will have similar questions. Did your PhD applications not pan out or what?
 
BoilerWolverine said:
Alright folks, I've had an interesting path and am curious if the top schools could possibly be an option for me. If not, what level of schools should I be considering? Location is not an issue. (That being said,Univ of Michigan is my first choice by far)

So, I went to Purdue for my undergrad in electrical engineering. I had some ups and downs (failed 4 classes but took again with ok grades). Graduated with a 3.11. My last years GPA was a 3.6, so a considerable improvement.

Next, I got my MS in electical engineering from Purdue. Did a thesis with a conferenece paper. Graduated in a year with a 4.0.

I then returned to Maryland and took the rest of my premed requirements at UMBC. Again, 4.0 in all my premed classes.

Now I am at Univ. of Michigan doing a MS in Biomedical Engineering. I have a 7.9/8.0 and am in a lab doing neural engineering research. I am also teaching physics for Princeton Review.

MCAT was a 36O (13P 10V 13B).

I will have a number of very good recommendations and have been involved with some limited volunteering in hospitals and other charity organizations. I have also been involved with Tau Beta Pi and other honor things as well.

So yea... I'm sure my undergrad grades will hurt me to some extent. However, I haven't gotten anything less than an A since 2004. Thanks for reading and I appreciate any input.
Click to expand...

You should be fine! I think you've proven that you can handle tough classes, which is really all Adcoms want to see. Apply to whatever school(s) suit your fancy 😀

Also, the non-traditional student's forum might be helpful too. :luck:
 
Ersatzious said:
You should be more curious if any medical school will be an option for you. Why did you not apply immediately after finishing your prereqs and instead opt to complete yet another engineering MS, albeit biomedically focused? Why have you not been volunteering more? Frankly, I am not sensing a real dedication to medicine here and I imagine adcoms will have similar questions. Did your PhD applications not pan out or what?
Click to expand...


These are VERY good questions, and things I could see coming up. I took the MCAT last August, right after completing my premed requirements. I had already applied to schools for my biomedical engineering MS, with the potential to do a PhD. I did not want to put my application in so late, as my scores did not even come until October. I did not want to waste the year in between, and I happened to get into my DREAM lab here at Michigan. I have been doing research while getting my MS and working on my med school applications (and volunteering).

I am not one to sit around and wait for things to happen. I love the area I'm involved in (neural engineering - specifically, neural control for robotic prosthetics) but there are plenty of good engineers. I have a passion for working with people and feel that I can do the most good and make the biggest impact by working directly with patients and helping to bridge the gap between engineering and medicine.

SO... to address your question, my dedication to medicine is very strong. It is simply coming with a different perspective than most traditional premeds.
 
If you apply broadly, and interview well, you should be admitted to a mid tier allopathic school. Michigan probably is a stretch but apply and see what happens. Your undergrad record hurts you, but you have a great record since your junior year. I think that you have overcome your earlier slacker years unless you have your heart set on a top 10 med school. If you want to become an MD, it definitely is possible. Good luck.
 
Yeah University of Michigan! Go Blue!!!

That is all I have to say.

Oh, and good luck with applications! 🙂
 
Is there anyone out there who has been in a similar situation and got admitted to a top 10 school? It seems a little nuts to worry so much about grades from over 4 years ago when the last 4 years have been so good! Thoughts?
 
I find it hard to believe that undergrad major is irrelevant. Electrical Engineering is known for its low GPAs (on average at least) when compared to other majors.
 
BoilerWolverine said:
I find it hard to believe that undergrad major is irrelevant. Electrical Engineering is known for its low GPAs (on average at least) when compared to other majors.
Click to expand...

I have spoken directly face to face with two deans of admissions who have said, and trust me they were being 100% sincere, that your choice of major is irrelevant. Here is the reasoning: you should be majoring in something you love, and therefore they expect you to do well in it. They do not make a distinction between "hard majors" vs. "easy majors"... if you think they should, please propose a methodical way for them to determine what's a difficult major and what's an easy one. FWIW I agree that EE is probably the hardest major out there, but the fact of the matter is that it wont make up for low performance. Sorry.
 
BoilerWolverine said:
I then returned to Maryland and took the rest of my premed requirements at UMBC. Again, 4.0 in all my premed classes.
Click to expand...

Hey that's where I'm at right now.😛 You probably would have been better of doing a SMP. Anyways people can tell you this and that. But there is no way of knowing for sure until you actually apply.

Keep us updated on your progress! 😉
 
I know they say they don't look at your major but I believe they must to some subconscious degree.

That said, I think you've shown a strong commitment to medicine and you should definitely apply broadly (focus on middle level schools). You never know! I've heard of applicants like you getting into top Ivies.

Good luck!
 
I am going to visit our (UMich) med school tomorrow. We'll see what they have to say!
 
Purdue is a great school for engineering, so the adcoms know the rigor of the program.

More importantly you have done very well in recent classes and in the MCAT. I had a poor GPA initially but did very well in recent classes and that is what made my application successful on the third try.

Think about schools that you would feel comfortable at and be able to tell them(through essays and at an interview) why you would be a good fit for their school.

My Dad graduated from Purdue as a chemical engineer, go boilermakers!!! :meanie:
 
YankeeDoodle193 said:
I know they say they don't look at your major but I believe they must to some subconscious degree.

That said, I think you've shown a strong commitment to medicine and you should definitely apply broadly (focus on middle level schools). You never know! I've heard of applicants like you getting into top Ivies.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

Computers screening GPAs have no conscience...
 
BoilerWolverine said:
All of the rankings and guides are great, but they usually show a couple of generic stats and thats it (MCAT, UNDERGRAD GPA, etc.).
Click to expand...

:bullcrap: The rankings are for lay people who know nothing about medical school.

Undergraduate major is indeed irrelevant. Sorry if that bursts anybody's bubble. What the pre-allo crowd continually fails to recognize is that there are thousands of applications per school, and I can assure you that they've seen every major many times over. All schools use some type of screening algorithm which is MCAT and GPA heavy after residency considerations.

Generic stats are 95% of what medical schools look for.

Sorry if this offends people too, but grad work doesn't have any weight either. SMP's are better for med school admissions, but usually you can pick up some contacts/LOR's in traditional grad school.
 
After speaking with a number of schools, it turns out that a number of factors here MAY play in my favor. Undergrad (and grad) major do play osme part in the process, but will probably not get you past an initial GPA screening. Also, (depending on the school) graduate work can demonstrate an ability to do tough classes. Just FYI.
 
crazy_cavalier said:
I have spoken directly face to face with two deans of admissions who have said, and trust me they were being 100% sincere, that your choice of major is irrelevant. Here is the reasoning: you should be majoring in something you love, and therefore they expect you to do well in it. They do not make a distinction between "hard majors" vs. "easy majors"... if you think they should, please propose a methodical way for them to determine what's a difficult major and what's an easy one. FWIW I agree that EE is probably the hardest major out there, but the fact of the matter is that it wont make up for low performance. Sorry.
Click to expand...

As a fellow wolverine, I feel for ya, and your love for UM, but I agree with this post - English is hard for someone who's natural talent is engineering, and vice versa. Also, your background isn't THAT unique (in fact, your choice of majors/degrees sounds exactly like that of my second cousin, albeit different schools). You have good MCATs, which will help you, and I think your grades are far enough in the past that they shouldn't affect your overall chances, but definitely think UM Med is a reach as well - no matter how much I loved my days in Ann Arbor, I doubt I'll get any love from them either
 
I plan on it! Thanks! 😉
 
I got in... sweet!
 
Apply to the good ones 😀
 
Wow, I was really confused for quite some time in this thread.

Interesting to see how it all panned out!
 
What were you confused about? (Just out of curiosity)
 
I would apply to many top research schools because some schools will dislike your nontraditional status, and others will like your unique background. Call schools and actually ask them if you stand a chance, and don't apply to primary care focus schools. I would definiely try Mayo, Northwestern, UChicago, UMich, CASE, and UPitt who would know about your experiences.
 
for those that have not realised, this was a thread started a year ago. The OP just updated the thread posting that he has received an acceptance. and yes, it was interesting, i'm glad to see you got in Boiler
 
it is always funny to see threads so old that one of the original posters has been banned. I am thinking about creating a dummy account and trolling for awhile to see what gets people banned.
 
honestly it sounds like you don't have much exposure to medicine. Wouldn't you be a lot happier doing biomedical engineering? That is bridging the gap between medicine and engineering. Being a doctor is not.
 
Dude, I'm going to med school next year, but you're probably right... I should probably NOT leave my PhD program to go to med school huh? Thanks for figuring that out!
 
BoilerWolverine said:
What were you confused about? (Just out of curiosity)
Click to expand...

I was confused because your name was really familar and I realized that I'd seen you post in the Cinci thread, and I've definitely looked at your MDapps before. So it didn't make sense why you were posting about where to apply, heh.
 
brianmartin said:
honestly it sounds like you don't have much exposure to medicine. Wouldn't you be a lot happier doing biomedical engineering? That is bridging the gap between medicine and engineering. Being a doctor is not.
Click to expand...

BoilerWolverine said:
Dude, I'm going to med school next year, but you're probably right... I should probably NOT leave my PhD program to go to med school huh? Thanks for figuring that out!
Click to expand...

:laugh:

Good luck!

ps: your research sounded really interesting, if you have any papers or links you can pm me, I would be interested. Thanks
 
gatorsbball said:
:laugh:

Good luck!

ps: your research sounded really interesting, if you have any papers or links you can pm me, I would be interested. Thanks
Click to expand...

If you are interested in the research my lab does, go to Pubmed and do a search for, "Kipke" All the "neural" stuff is ours. (There is one that comes up about club drugs and men that have sex with each other... not ours)
 
OP: umm, with your GPA, i would say you have NO chance at top schools. Im being realistic, you don't have a shot. Unless you've cured cancer and won a nobel prize (even then i would put your chances at around 60%).

top schools are number ******. you don't seem to have any glaring hook, you have "limited" clinical experience, your gpa is very very low for ANY Allopathic school, and your mcat is about average for the top places.

your mdapps indicates that you've already been accepted to allopathic schools. CONGRATS! you must be a very persuasive interviewee because your gpa kills you (im talking about the gpa indicated in your mdapps).

also, don't count on your master's degree to help you much. it helps a little, but not as you may think.

:luck::luck:
 
searun said:
If you apply broadly, and interview well, you should be admitted to a mid tier allopathic school. Michigan probably is a stretch but apply and see what happens. Your undergrad record hurts you, but you have a great record since your junior year. I think that you have overcome your earlier slacker years unless you have your heart set on a top 10 med school. If you want to become an MD, it definitely is possible. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I don't agree with this at all. Michigan probably is not a stretch for you. The further (timewise) you are away from undergraduate grades, the less they matter, especially since you have been in school since you graduated and maintained a VERY high GPA in challenging disciplines. Your MCAT is very good, even if your VR is low compared to your sciences. Just make sure to write a great personal statement and play up your life experiences. i think you've got a very good shot.
 
Monkey House said:
2. As for what schools match with EE, thats easy. Look for the big powerhouse schools since it is usually their all star research that gives them that reputation.
Click to expand...

I tried this and just look what happened! Owww... my pride...
 
paranoid_eyes said:
your mdapps indicates that you've already been accepted to allopathic schools. CONGRATS! you must be a very persuasive interviewee because your gpa kills you (im talking about the gpa indicated in your mdapps).
:luck::luck:
Click to expand...

Look at me, OBVIOUSLY!

surfstarj said:
I don't agree with this at all. Michigan probably is not a stretch for you. The further (timewise) you are away from undergraduate grades, the less they matter, especially since you have been in school since you graduated and maintained a VERY high GPA in challenging disciplines. Your MCAT is very good, even if your VR is low compared to your sciences. Just make sure to write a great personal statement and play up your life experiences. i think you've got a very good shot.
Click to expand...

This is hilarious! Unfortunately, Michigan turned out to be a stretch because I was rejected there not long ago!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

V
What should I look into when deciding between new schools?
Replies
4
Views
775
veil_ca
V
S
No IIs since September... what should I be doing right now?
Replies
14
Views
1K
moltmannfanboi
M
Guppy19461
  • Question Question
What should I do moving forward?
Replies
3
Views
654
Mr.Smile12
Mr.Smile12
L
What should I do now ?
Replies
4
Views
2K
Goro
Goro
Baller27
What Schools Left Should I Submit?
Replies
7
Views
2K
Baller27
Baller27
Top Bottom